Nano-Precision Foundation: Huzhou Prim's Independent Breakthrough in Semiconductor Precision Equipment

As semiconductor manufacturing continues to advance toward 3nm and 2nm processes, billions of transistors must be integrated onto a chip no larger than a fingernail. Any micrometer-level deviation during production could result in the entire batch of wafers being scrapped. As the core carrier linking every stage of wafer fabrication—from calibration and positioning to transportation and handling—its precision and stability directly determine the final yield of chips, making it a critical bottleneck for China's high-end semiconductor manufacturing industry. Huzhou Prim Semiconductor Co., Ltd., established in 2023, has emerged as a fast-growing player in this field. Centered on nanometer-level ultra-precision motion control technology, the company has developed a comprehensive solution covering the entire wafer processing workflow, establishing itself as a rising force in China's advanced semiconductor equipment sector. 

From the technical origin: Deepening the fundamental design of precision motion stages 

Precision motion stages are the "heart" of semiconductor equipment, with their performance directly determining the positioning accuracy of wafers during processes such as lithography, inspection, and etching. Unlike conventional industrial motion platforms, ultra-precision motion stages for advanced manufacturing must achieve nanometer-level positioning accuracy and sub-nanometer-level motion stability simultaneously over large travel ranges, placing extreme demands on structural design, drive mechanisms, and feedback systems. 

The core team of Huzhou Primus originated from the Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and has developed an independent R&D technical path in precision motion stage design. Rather than following the industry's common approach of "parameter stacking," they started from fundamental structural logic and adopted a classic layered optimization architecture combining coarse and fine stages: the coarse stage achieves large-range, micron-level smooth motion via air-floating support, while the fine stage mounted on top compensates for motion errors in real time through multi-degree-of-freedom drive, ultimately converging overall positioning accuracy to within 30 nm and maintaining repeat positioning accuracy stably at the 35 nm level. 

At the core support stage of the motion platform, the team optimized the air-floating structure design by simulating the flow patterns of high-pressure gas within the bearing cavity, precisely controlling the working air film thickness within the 7–9 μm range. Combined with a vacuum preload structure, this significantly enhances the stiffness of the air film, effectively eliminating friction and wear issues associated with traditional mechanical bearings while addressing the common problem of insufficient stiffness in conventional air-bearing platforms during high-speed operation. The drive end employs a coreless direct-drive motor solution, completely eliminating transmission backlash and cogging effects. Paired with a self-developed nano-interference feedback compensation system, the platform achieves a motion speed of 1 m/s while maintaining nanometer-level smoothness throughout operation. To meet diverse application requirements, customized solutions have been developed: for wafer inspection scenarios, a laser interferometer-based motion platform emphasizes long-term operational stability; for short-stroke precision alignment applications, a piezoelectric ceramic motion platform further improves micro-motion response speed, ensuring each product precisely meets the actual needs of downstream processes. 

Air-float Rotary Axis: Unlocking the Core Code of Contactless Motion 

As a key core component of precision motion stages, the performance of an air-floating rotary axis directly determines the motion accuracy of wafers at the rotation station. The air-floating rotary axis independently developed by Huzhou Prim utilizes gas static pressure technology to form a uniform and stable rigid air film between stationary and rotating parts, enabling the rotating component to operate in complete suspension. This eliminates entirely the issues of contact friction, wear, and backlash associated with traditional mechanical rotary axes. 

This air-floating rotary axis features an optimized cross-shaped air bearing design, achieving a balance between high load capacity and low axial height within limited space. Combined with a high-resolution circular grating and a frameless direct-drive motor, it delivers sub-micron rotational accuracy and bidirectional repeat positioning precision at the arcsecond level. During operation, it generates virtually no vibration or noise and enables maintenance-free, long-life performance, fully meeting the high cleanliness requirements of semiconductor cleanrooms without producing any metallic particulate contamination on wafers. 

Based on this self-developed air-floating rotary shaft, Huzhou Prim has extended its product line to a full range of precision air-bearing turntables, achieving axial and radial rotational accuracy within 20 nm. The products can be customized according to customer requirements in terms of table size, load capacity, and rotational speed, making them widely suitable for various applications such as wafer cutting, wafer grinding, and optical alignment. This breakthrough has ended the industry's long-standing reliance on imported core components. 

Wafer Handling and Loading System: Precision Collaboration Across the Entire Process 

If precision motion stages and air-bearing rotary axes are the "skeleton," then wafer handling and loading systems are the "blood vessels" that connect the entire semiconductor production process. From the moment a wafer enters the equipment, it undergoes dozens of transfers between different process chambers, with each step—grasping, transporting, and aligning—directly affecting production efficiency and wafer safety. 

Huzhou Prim's wafer transfer system integrates its self-developed air-floating motion control technology deeply into the design, paired with a proprietary ceramic fork component made of high-purity silicon nitride ceramic. This material offers both low thermal expansion and high rigidity. By combining vacuum adsorption with flexible clamping, the system enables contactless wafer handling, maintaining nanometer-level vibration during high-speed transport and completely eliminating particle contamination and wafer edge damage that could arise from metal components. The entire transfer system is equipped with intelligent path planning algorithms that dynamically adjust motion trajectories in real time, automatically avoiding internal equipment structures. It achieves a wafer transfer efficiency of over 30 wafers per minute, significantly improving production cycle times on the manufacturing line. 

The accompanying wafer loading system has been fully optimized for EFEM equipment scenarios, achieving high-precision closed-loop control throughout the entire process—from wafer cassette alignment and wafer handling to pre-alignment and transfer into the process chamber. The system features a self-developed in-house wafer position calibration device that, through coordinated operation of multiple sensors and actuators, enables rapid wafer position calibration without opening the chamber. This significantly reduces equipment downtime during debugging and effectively lowers the wafer breakage rate during the loading process. 

From nanometer-level alignment in wafer calibrators to high-purity transfer of ceramic blade forks, and seamless integration between handling systems and precision motion platforms, the comprehensive technical system developed by Huzhou Primus is not merely a collection of isolated components. Instead, through deep synergy between precision mechanics and intelligent control, it ensures consistent accuracy throughout the entire wafer processing workflow. This enables precision advantages at every stage to be seamlessly passed on to subsequent processes, ultimately delivering improved overall yield for downstream customers. 

The Growth Journey of Domestic Equipment: From Technological Breakthroughs to Ecosystem Co-creation 

In just three years, Huzhou Prim has delivered an impressive performance: revenue surpassed 60 million yuan in 2025, R&D investment accounted for over 20% of revenue, and the company has served more than 30 industry clients. It has shipped hundreds of equipment units, with its products not only covering major domestic semiconductor equipment manufacturers but also successfully deployed on production lines at leading domestic wafer fabrication enterprises. Today, the company has established a combined R&D and manufacturing base exceeding 10,000 square meters in Wuxi and Huzhou, while a new production project in Yancheng, Jiangsu, is progressing steadily. Upon completion, this facility will further expand capacity, delivering more independently controllable precision equipment to the industry. 

Looking ahead, Huzhou Prim will continue to deepen its expertise in nanoscale ultra-precision motion control technology, further expanding the adaptability of its products to new materials such as transparent and semi-transparent wafers. At the same time, it will collaborate with upstream and downstream partners in materials, components, and processes to jointly build an independent ecosystem for semiconductor precision equipment. Amid the accelerating wave of self-reliance in China's domestic semiconductor industry, this young company is leveraging its solid technological foundation to establish a nanometer-level precision base for homegrown chip manufacturing, steadily advancing toward breakthroughs in autonomous high-end semiconductor equipment.